The Nigeria star receives effusive praise from pundits, fans and neutrals, but this has never resulted in any concrete interest in the Super Eagle
The Wilfred Ndidi paradox has flown beneath the radar and is getting little or no mention: the Leicester City man is praised to high heaven yearly but receives minimal interest from the top sides.
Perhaps the supposed belief is driven by the average supporter’s thirst for transfer rumours during the window to give the impression that the club they’re invested in is making moves for the right players.
As right players go, Ndidi by and large fits that bill, given the West African’s development into one of Europe’s leading defensive midfielders.
Editors’ Picks
- Euro 2020 Power Rankings: Portugal plummet ahead of knockout stage gauntlet
- How England and the FA are building the next generation of Lionesses
- The Ballon d’Or or ‘working as a bin man!’ – What’s next for Liverpool’s newest cult hero Nat Phillips?
- Suarez, Cavani and the sad end to Uruguay’s golden era
He arrived in January 2017 believed to be N’Golo Kante’s replacement, but he’s shed those comparisons to create a niche for himself having improved considerably at the King Power Stadium.
However, despite the Nigerian’s growth, he remains at the Foxes with little or no links to bigger clubs in the rumour mill.
Given that the Foxes have sold several assets in the last few years — Kante and Ben Chilwell left for Chelsea, Riyad Mahrez was signed by Manchester City and Harry Maguire departed for Manchester United — Ndidi’s situation is surprising.
While Jamie Vardy remained, he came pretty close to leaving for Arsenal in 2016 before committing to the side. The Englishman’s Leicester stay wasn’t due to a lack of interest in his services, but a personal decision on the prolific frontman’s part.
Even James Maddison is seemingly sought after, with the Gunners said to be considering the attacking midfielder after losing out on Emiliano Buendia and, possibly, Martin Odegaard.
With Ndidi, though…nothing and the lack of genuine interest is perplexing.
Chelsea are reportedly monitoring West Ham United’s Declan Rice or Monaco’s French-Cameroonian Aurelien Tchouameni, while Liverpool and Arsenal are said to be interested in Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yves Bissouma. In addition, Manchester United’s need for a genuine defensive midfielder has been noticeable for a while.
Regardless, the Blues’ interest in Rice hasn’t waned despite Frank Lampard’s dismissal, Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp may turn attentions elsewhere if the Brighton man stays with the Seagulls and United’s Jadon Sancho obsession suggest their defensive midfield hole may remain for another season.
Some observers have cited the Nigerian’s average ball progression and underwhelming ball carrying as possible factors deterring potential suitors.
The Leicester man plays fewer progressive passes per 90 (2.36) than Rice and Bissouma (2.96 and 3.26 respectively) and completes significantly fewer passes into the box than the pair— 0.17 to Rice’s 0.66 and Bissouma’s 0.61.
While the West Ham midfielder has been criticised, particularly at the ongoing European Championship, for being ineffectual in his team’s build-up, he somewhat makes up for this supposed deficiency in his ball carrying.
The England international made more progressive ball carries per 90 (5.16) than the Brighton man (4.54) with Ndidi’s 1.78 average ball carries strikingly inferior. Furthermore, the Leicester star seldom moved with the ball into the opposition’s final third — averaging 0.79 carries into that area of the pitch — unlike the Hammer (1.84) and Mali star (1.79).
Indeed, the fact Youri Tielemans played deeper in 2020/21 to aid the Foxes’ ball progression further emphasises the aforementioned point.
The Belgium midfielder’s altered role may have allowed the Nigerian to focus on largely winning the ball, but could this have unwittingly deterred the bigger clubs?
Perhaps an even bigger concern has been the injuries sustained by the former Genk player in the last two seasons. Having started 17 of 18 games in his first few months at the club, Ndidi went on to start 33 and 37 Premier League games in 2017/18 and 18/19 respectively.
However, there’s been a considerable drop in the last two seasons in which the anchorman has played from the off 29 times in 19/20 before four fewer starts in the just-concluded campaign.
By contrast, Bissouma started 35 of Brighton’s games last term while Rice has been dependable and injury-free at West Ham in the last three years, starting a combined 104 PL matches since 18/19.
Of course, Ndidi’s depleted numbers and starts in 20/21 comes with a respective caveat that he moonlighted at centre-back at times, while the Foxes’ involvement in Europe and successful FA Cup run put the necessary context to things…perhaps the jampacked schedule was always going to take its toll.
Having said that, he missed only three league games through injury after his December return, pointing to him overcoming those injury concerns, although next season will reveal more.
Unsurprisingly, the Super Eagle led the way for tackles plus interceptions per 90, with the Brighton and West Ham stars coming in at 14th and 30th when the metric is adjusted for players who made significant appearances.
Be that as it may, the feeling that the pair’s overall game is more rounded might continue to affect the interest in the Nigeria star going forward, despite the effusive praise of his qualities as a holding midfielder.
At 24, it’s obviously too soon to take an alarmist view of the Ndidi situation, but the relative lack of interest in a player who’s arguably one of the best performers in his position is beginning to worry.
